Guarded
by Lightningthesky
Summary: Today was her coronation day, and yet, all thoughts were solely of the blonde in front of her. She had never seen Arendelle's guard uniform fit so perfectly on someone, the sword dangling at the woman's hip making her all the more alluring. Clear blue eyes narrowed in confusion and lips moved, talking to her. Wait, when had she started staring at her lips?
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: **The stories I write are only for pure entertainment; I do not make any money from my writings. The worlds and characters I write about are the sole property of Disney._

_**A/N**: This has been floating around in my head for a little bit, and I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I have writing it._

_Feedback is always appreciated!_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

A hesitant knock.

"Your majesty?"

Teal eyes opened slowly, staring at the starch ceiling above through the wisps of red splayed out across her face. Her immediate reaction was to roll over, throw a pillow over her head, and act as if she'd never heard a thing. That was exactly her plan until another searching knock echoed through her room.

"I'm sure her majesty would do well to remember we have much to do today. . perhaps some final preparations for your coronation tomorrow?"

Her coronation? . .

"Shi-"

A loud cough on the other side of the door prevented her from continuing, a condescending tone suddenly being acquired, "Your majesty!"

Anna gave a nervous laugh, shooting up in her bed and flipping a mane of red hair, with an oddly placed blonde streak, out of her face. Leaping forward to get into more appropriate clothing, she couldn't prevent the gasp that was ripped from her throat as she met the floor, blankets twisting around her legs to prevent escape.

A breathy chuckle reminded Anna that she still had company present, or at least someone listening.

"I'll see to it that breakfast is on the table?"

Anna smiled, letting out a sigh, relieved that she would always have Gerda looking out for her, "That would be great; thank you Gerda."

Footsteps sounded hollow against the floor, echoing against empty halls and getting quieter as Gerda walked away before ceasing entirely. Anna threw an arm over her face, effectively blocking her vision.

It was surreal, really; not only the fact that her coronation would be held tomorrow, but that after three terribly long years, the gates would finally be opened. They had been sealed forever, since she was a child; if she remembered correctly, right after her mother's untimely death.

Her father had been paranoid after that, afraid the world would once again strike at what he loved most; rumors spread, wondering what made the king lock himself, and his only child, away from the world. The first, and only, time he had left the kingdom was only to please the council by making a personal appearance in Corona, in order to keep ties strong and dismiss rumors. After weeks with no word from their beloved king, the kingdom was forced to accept that the sea had taken another victim. A regent had been placed until she would become of age; one determined to keep her father's legacy by upholding her father's last demands: keep the gates closed.

Tomorrow though, that would all change; kingdoms from all over would be passing through to celebrate with her's in her crowning. She loved her father dearly, but his way of life wasn't hers; it wasn't even living but only surviving.

Anna sat up, mindful to brush away the offending blankets wrapped around her legs, before making her way towards her closet, getting dressed and twisting her hair into a simple braid down her back.

She set off towards the dining room, the long halls giving way to only silence. No one wanted to serve for a mistrustful king, leaving only workers whom had been in service for many years left. Heels harshly striking the floor sounded behind her, reminding her that not everyone had left so easily.

"Good morning, Kai."

Kai easily stepped up to match her pace, "Morning your Majesty; did you choose to sleep in this morning? It's quite late."

Anna felt her face flush, hearing the teasing tone in his voice; everyone knew that she wasn't exactly the earliest of risers on even the best days, "N-no, of course not Kai; you know I've been up for hours."

"Of course Princess Anna."

Anna chose to ignore the teasing resignation and do what any other princess would do; she stuck her tongue at him and walked faster. A hand on her arm caused her to pause and meet the warm eyes of her ever devoted guard.

"Anna", she couldn't help but look at his eyes searchingly, his tone getting serious, "My replacement will be taking the position tomorrow."

"Kai-"

"You know I love you like my own dear, but I'm of no use in my age now. My duty is to protect you first and foremost, and I'm no longer capable of doing that as well as someone else may. Your father entrusted your safety to me, and I will not dishonor him by being selfish for not wanting to leave", Kai's stern expression dissolved into a sad smile, "I'll still be here to look after you and make sure everything's in check; I'm not leaving, besides I trust my job will be carried out fully."

Anna couldn't help the tears gathering in the corners of her eyes, choosing to look away and stare at the wall behind Kai; it wasn't her place to cause Kai grief when he had always taken such good care of her, "You say you trained him yourself? I guess you've never led me wrong before."

Kai's eyes lit up with relief, and Anna had to choke back the accusing words she desperately wanted to yell. He was leaving her, whether or not he would admit it; some random stranger would take his place and follow after her like a shadow. She would be alone again.

"Her, but yes I've overseen her training since she was young and I must say she-"

Anna reared back, "Her? . .Her! I've never been able to have a friend, other than Gerda, but of course there's some things that you can't talk to her about. How old is she? Since she was young- how long have you known her? Why haven't I met her?Wait, she's probably around Gerda's age if she's my guard right? Age equals experience and what not-"

"Your majesty, she's not here to be someone you gossip to. She's in charge of your safety, period", Kai narrowed his eyes at her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and starting to lead her through the halls, sighing as he tried to sort out all of Anna's questions, "She's actually fairly young, perhaps a few years your senior; I was able to train her from early on and she adapts fairly quickly, and I trust her to take care of you. She's tagged along these past few days to acquire your routine, but if she doesn't want you to know she's there, well you won't. She'll be present at your coronation though; I know that for a fact."

"That's great!", Anna bit her lip, realizing she was yelling, and rubbed her arm, "I mean, that's cool. Cool. ."

Kai raised an eyebrow at her, a smile slowly stretching across his face, "Perhaps I could arrange you to meet her later this evening?"

"Ah yes, that would be. . satisfactory?", Anna dipped into a curtsey, as the dining hall came into view, "Thank you Kai. . for everything."

Kai bowed, his eyebrows knitting in concentration before he pulled her into a hug, "You are welcome, my dear. Behave, will you?"

Anna placed her hand on the doorknob, pretending to think for a moment before flashing him a grin, "Always Kai!"

The door opened and shut, the redhead slipping through before he could reply.

* * *

Anna ran through the halls, trying to avoid the bustling activity that preparing for a coronation requires and apologizing as she got in their ways. Kai had summoned her to her father's study- her study now- to meet her new guard.

"S-sorry! Really I am!"

One more turn and she would be in the home stretch-

Her foot caught the edge of a carpet, and Anna could only squeeze her eyes shut, anticipating a harsh landing. Instead, she heard a grunt as she plowed into an unsuspecting victim and sent them both tumbling to the ground, her victim taking the brunt of the fall.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. I just was trying to get to the study, because Kai summoned me and you know, I didn't want to be late. I mean, I typically don't want to be late, but today is special, because I get to meet my new guard. I'm sort of excited because she's a girl. . oh wait, I guess you got that when I said 'she'. Either way, I'm excited and I'm really, _really_-"

"I'm honored that you were that excited to meet me, your Majesty."

Anna scrambled back, realizing she had still been laying on the person she had tackled, meeting icy blue eyes squinted in amusement.

Any words were caught in her throat as she realized how familiar those eyes were. How she knew the lightly freckled face.

"It's you. . "


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: **__The stories I write are only for pure entertainment; I do not make any money from my writings. The worlds and characters I write about are the sole property of Disney._

_**A/N**__: I'm really sorry, and I promise next time definitely won't take as long._

_Just if some are questioning the fact, this is an Elsanna fic; granted it is slight AU, so they are not related. Glad to see some interest in this fic, really appreciate it._

_Feedback is always appreciated!_

_Enjoy! :3_

* * *

"Me?"

Time had worn the memory down, the girl's name being the first to go, replaced by only a feeling of familiarity.

* * *

_"Anna!"_

_The younger girl turned, eyes lighting up mischievously as she watched a slender figure running towards her, light blonde hair bouncing slightly. The blonde's progress was slow; the recent snow falls from early that morning causing her to sink further and further down. _

_Anna couldn't help the giggle that slipped past her lips at the blonde's face. Eyebrows drawn tightly together in concentration. Eyes narrowed as she tried to identify the easiest path. White teeth biting her lip as she surged through the snow. Her friend's face was priceless, especially once she noticed Anna's laughter. A noticeable blush worked its way onto the blonde's face; a curse of her fair complexion._

_"I'm honored that you'd be so excited to see me!", Anna shouted across the grounds, putting on her best royal tone and deciding to take it easy on her friend and meet her halfway._

_"Stop laughing. The messenger said you needed me", the blonde's face twisted into a slight pout, "I thought something was wrong."_

_Anna grinned and wrapped an arm around her friend's, "No pouts. As my royal friend, I declare you shall do nothing other than smile." _

_The red head stood on her toes to reach her friends face, fingers poking her friend's mouth in an attempt to form a smile, before the blonde shooed her hands away, a slight smile gracing her features, "Quit being foolish Anna. Now, what was it that was so important?"_

_"We, my friend, are going on an adventure!", she yelled, waving arms about for emphasis._

_The blonde blinked, and Anna counted backwards in her head._

_Three. . .two. . one!_

_"Anna! Surely you know the rules by now; your father has clearly stated you are not to leave the grounds. Honestly Anna, with all the threats the kingdom's received as of late, why even humor the idea", the blonde asked, a hand to her forehead as she paced in front of the younger girl, head nodding at her own logic._

_Too bad Anna didn't much care for logic._

_Anna leaned forward, hands on her hips; teal eyes narrowed as they met a pair of uncertain blues, "You look like _and _sound like an adult right now, quit it. Besides, maybe if Father thought to let me in on stuff, I would know what's going on. What threats?"_

_The blonde blanched, eyes widening with realization, "You didn't- No! I mean. . it's not serious. . .You know your father is just trying to protect you."_

_Anna smiled sweetly, gaining satisfaction that the blonde was immediately unnerved by it, "Good, then if it isn't serious, lets go. You can protect me with your magic anyway."_

_She had thrown it on the end purposely, testing the reaction of her friend, upset when it wasn't exactly what she had hoped for as the blonde stilled and went rigid, "It's a curse, Anna. . .And it's unpredictable. I can't rely on it, so you shouldn't either."_

_Her friend had been getting worse as of lately. Grins were becoming a rarity, instead an always present, polite smile had taken its place. She hardly ever initiated contact anymore; her posture ramrod straight the moment anyone touched her, sometimes even when Anna tried if she was startled. Anna knew it had something to do with her magic; the blonde had never referred to it as such, or even powers, choosing to not mention it at all and only then as the "curse" when necessary._

_Whatever was happening, they would find a way to make it right, because they were right here, together. _

_Reaching out to take a gloved hand in her own, she refused to wince at the new onslaught of cold seeping through her gloves and rubbed what she hoped to be soothing circles on the back of the blonde's hand, "You've never hurt me, and I know you won't. Predictable enough for you? Besides, Father lets me play with you, so obviously you can't be that bad, I mean he's a wacko when it comes to my safety-not that I'm saying he thinks you're okay only because he is a little paranoid; that's just one of the reasons. Wait, no, that didn't come out right. I meant-"_

_"Anna."_

_Fingers weaved themselves through hers, the hand giving her's a light squeeze and leading her to meet blue eyes, "We don't go too far and better be back by dinner."_

_Anna squealed in excitement, throwing her arms around the blonde's neck, "Thank you!"_

_She rubbed her face into her the blonde's hair, giving a contented sigh when the other girl relaxed and gradually brought slender arms to wrap around her in return. _

_"Well, lets get to it then!"_

_Grabbing the other girl's hand, they snuck through unused hallways and unsuspecting guards. The rest of the day passed in one drawn out blur._

_Smiling faces, a pale hand attempting to cover up hers, but blue eyes still betrayed amusement._

_Finding so much warmth between her own hand and the cold one pressed against it._

_Giggling as snow lightly descended, claiming a resting spot atop her head and knowing that it wasn't natural snow. It was too perfect, too similar to _her_, for it to come from the sky._

_Terror._

_The frantic kind that had her gasping for breath within seconds, panicked breath coming out in puffs. The other girl's name on the tip of her tongue, and she wanted to scream it. To cry it and beg for her. _

_Anything to get that look off her face; the kind that had already made a decision that she knew Anna wouldn't like. Anything to keep her from dashing away and get that expression off her face. _

_But it wouldn't, the concern was still there; so evident when she breathed, "run", into her ear._

_Darkness descended on her, shadows twisted and morphing images into unrecognizable images. Screams echoed, one so achingly familiar. Shouting for her to run and calling her name out desperately to get away. She never listened though; she always thought that being together meant nothing bad could ever happen to them._

_She was wrong, so terribly wrong._

* * *

Memories had been eaten through; the images growing blurry over the years, and the noises, the screams and shouts and yells-

Well, she could still hear them, but maybe not as loudly as they once were.

She was sure of one thing though, the woman in front of her was the young girl from her memories.

The same memory that haunted her while awake and asleep; beginning every night like a happy dream, only for her to wake up screaming and feeling so hollow. Her heart shattering into a thousand pieces and unable to put back together, for some pieces had strayed.

The woman, her _guard_, was one such piece.

Years had changed the blonde; the sly little girl with rounds cheeks had grown into the beautiful women in front of her. Baby fat had worn away, leaving a lean and lithe figure in its place. Anna almost rolled her eyes at the fact that the woman's height still trumped her own. She knew it was her though, if the light dusting of freckles had anything to do with it. Same ever observant eyes; ones that were now staring at her with confusion, mouth moving as if she was speaking.

"There you are- oh, Princess Anna; I see you've already went about making a grand first impression, as always?"

Anna barely noticed Kai's appearance, the gloved hand that was extending towards her hesitantly taking far too much of her attention. She reached out to take it before the blonde's eyes darted sideways, the hand retreating as Anna felt Kai's hand grasps under her elbows to haul her up. Anna looked towards Kai, only to see him staring at the other woman.

The blonde bowed, low enough to cause the single braid of blonde to fall over her shoulder, "Your Majesty, my apologies; I should have been paying more attention."

Anna couldn't help but stare, knowing all too well how rude it was; the blonde was still bent in half awaiting her response.

Anna swallowed, licking her lips that had suddenly become dry.

The words tumbled from her mouth before she could even second guess them, "Do you know who I am?"

The blonde's chin tilted up, an eyebrow twitching slightly, "You're Princess Anna, soon to be queen, of Arendelle", blue eyes darted between meeting her own and Kai's, "My charge?"

Anna's teeth clenched, "No! You said exactly what I had that day, I mean I can't exactly remember what happened, but I know enough to know you were there!"

Anna stalked forward and yanked the woman up, hands finding purchase on the dark blue collar, "You know me, don't you?", her knuckles turning white as the woman looked to shocked to respond properly.

Anna was interrupted from shaking the woman as she disappeared, Kai dragging her back and placing a firm hand on her shoulder, "Princess, calm yourself please! Elsa has never set foot in this castle before starting under my tutelage."

Elsa?. . _Elsa!_

It finally set in; all the fragments of memories she had with the girl fitting together more smoothly as her name filled in blanks. It was so familiar, the way it rolled off her tongue, like she had said it for years. She _had_ said it for years, but it had all stopped. . for some reason.

She wondered how she could have even forgotten Elsa's name in the first place.

Her eyes flickered back to the blonde that had now taken refuge by backing against a wall, blue eyes darting about wildly, pausing every so many seconds to settle on her.

"Elsa", Anna called out softly, pleased when the blonde immediately stilled and focused on her, "We use to play together, right?" She continued, seeing no reason not to, "One day we went exploring, but I can't remember what happened. I remember you hadn't wanted to go, but I thought with your powers, nothing could go wrong. . "

Anna slapped her hand against her forehead, dragging it over her face, "Your magic! How could I- you don't just forget something like that!"

She rushed forward again, ignoring Kai's attempt to grab onto her arm. Her hands reached out to touch Elsa's face, one cupping her chin while the other lingered just over her cheek.

Bracing herself for the frigid skin she knew lay underneath, her fingers splayed out against a pale cheek.

Her fingers soaked up the warmth radiating under her fingers.

Anna drew back, alarmed from how wrong everything was. Elsa was supposed to greet her with open arms and remind her why she couldn't remember there times together.

Not stand there with a blank and detached face, eyes devoid of any emotion.

_When had that happened?_

"No, that's not- you've always been cold; a nice cold, but. .", Anna reached forward again, hands skimming over the pale face and finding no solace in the fact that Elsa was just as warms as she expected her own skin to be.

Anna bit down on her tongue, feeling tears gathering at the edge of her vision, but she couldn't-wouldn't- allow herself to cry. Kai gave her a worried look, probably wondering why their queen to be was acting like a raving lunatic.

Kai cleared his throat and Elsa's back snapped straight at attention, "Please go ask one of the workers to help you find your room. I'll escort the princess to her room."

Elsa placed a fist over her heart before bowing to them both and turned, long legs carrying her down the end of the corridor and out of sight with ease.

Anna felt a hand settle gently on her arm, "She knows me Kai".

"I can assure you, she does not Princess."

Anna ripped her arm from his grasp, "I can make it to my room on my own, thank you".

Without another word, she spun around and strode down the hall.

* * *

Elsa placed a hand on her chest, breathing out in short gasps and rubbing her chest in an effort to alleviate the overbearing pressure that resided there.

It had been so easy. So easy to find her place back into the routine between them. The way Anna's gaze had sparkled when she had finally, _finally_, recognized her. The way her eyes scrunched up, freckles clinging together at Elsa's teasing statement, before it had gone all the hell. It had taken all her willpower to clear her face of any betraying emotion, to keep her emotions in check instead of embracing the princess.

And God, when she had started to touch her.

Anna must have sensed how worried she was, must have felt her heart thumping hard against her checks, sending a blush to take over her features. She was sure she'd held her breath longer than any human should be allowed to, when Anna's face had been so close to hers.

Elsa knew Kai was carrying out their bluff, when he spoke of needing help to find her room; she could be blind and still know the path like the back of her hand. She glanced down and quickly amended herself, _glove_.

She slipped into the room, the furthest possible room from the princess's, and slammed the door shut. Efficient hands locked the door as they ran down its frame, nothing but a click signifying her closure. She let out a sigh, air condensing to fog in front of her and leaned against the door as frost started to seep out from under her. Elsa groaned and threw her head against the door, hoping the pain would serve as a distraction from teal eyes and freckles and red hair and all things that were so _Anna._

Blonde hair dropped from its tie to hang into her face; the same color that streaked against Anna's red hair.

All because of her.

She loathed the color; the way it stood out proudly against Anna's fiery hair. She was repulsed by it.

Going so far to rid her own self of its shade by shaving her head.

The guilt has consumed her. Terrified her. Burned her. She couldn't take it, couldn't watch Anna prance around with it tainting her. She had thought cutting it would make the guilt lesson, just enough so she wouldn't feel like she was drowning in it. Enough to come up for a breath of air before it grabbed her ankles and dragged her back down into the murky depths.

Gerda had found her.

She clearly remembers her own joy as she sat watching the strands fall uselessly to the ground. She wouldn't have to look in the mirror and think about what she had did to Anna.

It hadn't worked. Her ten years old self had been so sure it would, until the door had opened.

* * *

_"Oh dear. ."_

_Elsa looked up from her spot, platinum strands of hair surround her, only to see Gerda staring at her, face morphing into one of pity. Gerda reached out with a hand, and then thinking better of it, retracted it before turning around._

_A sob burst from her throat._

_"I just thought. . I didn't want to see it anymore. I-I don't want to hurt her Gerda", Elsa reached up to grip her head, mildly surprised when her fingers didn't get trapped in knots as she was so accustomed to. Instead, they grazed a thin layer of soft hair, thicker in spots, before touching her scalp._

_She was even more astounded when a pair of arms encircled her, a blanket wrapping around her shoulders._

_She wiggled, trying to escape the woman's grasp, "Gerda no! Stop. . I might- no, I will hurt you"._

_Gerda shifted to be in front of her, grabbing her jaw to force their eyes to meet, "Do you want to hurt me?"_

_"What. . No, I- of course not!"_

_Gerda smiled, a thin line that twitched upwards, but still there, "Then why would you think so? I don't fear you child."_

_Elsa blinked, stunned as the women refused to allow her gaze to wander, "Even after?", not being able to finish her own question._

_"Even after."_

* * *

She had cried on Gerda that day. Deep, gut wrenching sobs that felt like her soul was being torn to pieces.

For her parents, for her, for Anna's mother and father.

For Anna.

She hadn't realized until she thought about the incident later, that Gerda had been crying silently as well.

They sat there, for how long she wasn't sure, but Gerda had eventually reached over and picked up the scissors.

* * *

_"Don't do this again; your hair's too pretty for that, and you know Anna loves it."_

_Gerda huffed as she looked at the girl's hair, "Lets at least get this even", before leaning over her and beginning to fix her terrible haircut._

* * *

That was when Kai and the King walked in, the latter eyeing her warily.

They had come up with a plan.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer: **__The stories I write are only for pure entertainment; I do not make any money from my writings. The worlds and characters I write about are the sole property of Disney._

_**A/N**__: I'm finally getting some free time, completing my courses and what not, so expect faster updates. I had planned more for this chapter, but it would have been a longer wait, so I saved it for next time. I really appreciate the follows, favorites, and the reviews; they just make my day you guys, so really, thanks._

_Feedback is always appreciated!_

_Enjoy! :3_

* * *

Her insides were a mess.

The only sound that greeted her as she strode through the halls were the harsh thuds resonating from her boots. She had been up well before dawn, pacing back and forth, wearing down the carpets that had been placed in her room as precaution. When panic got the best of her, it tended to be on full display in her room; icicles descending from the rafters with jagged, _taunting _edges, frost creeping up the sidings and around the floor. Carpets were easy to replace, considering the wood would weaken and mold after repeated incidents. It wasn't her coronation day, wasn't her day to worry. She was worrying though, because she knew Anna.

And Anna was relentlessly stubborn.

The girl wasn't stupid, far from it, and even a blind man could see that not all was as it seemed in the castle. Especially if Kai continued to pester her with those damn _glares._ She knew he was being perfectly reasonable to be so tense around her, considering her track record while concerning Anna, but it still cut straight through bone to her heart every time the man, whom she had to think of as a father, gave her such mistrustful looks; they were so different than the proud ones he used to wear in her presence,-

_The teenager brought down the sword, both hands on its hilt, for a devastating downward strike and breaking through Kai's defense. A smile lit up on his face as he clapped her back, "Thatta girl Elsa!"_

-something akin to the fact that even if he wasn't her parent, he would still be honored to be considered as such. She hadn't seen him since yesterday, but she couldn't hide forever, as much as she wanted to, because he would want to discuss the situation that they had trapped themselves into.

But that didn't mean she couldn't try her damndest to prolong such conversations.

Just the thought of her burly mentor standing outside her quarters, shoulders set and a grim expression, caused a small smile to stretch across her face. No, she had planned from early on to avoid that; waiting outside Anna's room was the perfect reason to _not_ be in her room. She slowed her pace as she rounded the corner, Anna's room in sight, hoping-_knowing_- the girl would continue her ritual of exiting in the late morning as Elsa remembered her to do.

That's why seeing a flash of red hair slipping through a door and closing it quietly completely stopped her in her tracks. _What is she up to?_

Deciding to gain further information, Elsa watched as the girl tiptoed dramatically down the hall, before following her just as silently without the theatrics.

Anna's voiced carried through the empty halls, "If I was my long lost friend, where would I be?"

Elsa's face scrunched up, _what the hell was she talking about?_

Anna slunk down the hall, body pressed against the walls, in a fashion that had Elsa's hand coming to cover her mouth to prevent any chuckles from escaping. The girl was obviously trying to be quiet to minimalize disturbances but was having no such luck, unless one counted tripping over carpets and steadying herself on tables, causing porcelain objects to quake. Anna huffed and Elsa leaned forward to catch what she thought to be her own name tumbling from the redhead's lips. Elsa's eyebrows rose in surprise, trying to figure out why Anna would be searching for her so early, as she still shadowed Anna through the halls.

Anna stopped abruptly and leaned, or rather threw herself in an entirely Anna-fashion, against a suit of armor with enough force to knock it over.

Which it promptly did and sent the redhead off balance and toward the floor.

Elsa was already in motion before she fully processed the scene, slipping her hands under Anna's arms and bringing her to her chest before Anna had a chance to fall. Anna threw up her hands, "Really Kai? What do you do sleep outside my room and wait for me to mess something up? . . Wait, you don't do that do you? Because, let me tell you, that would be creepy."

Elsa bit back a smirk and schooled her features as Anna looked over her shoulder, eyes widening when she realized the blonde was in fact _not_ Kai. Elsa's chest tightened and her stomach turned when Anna's face lit up with hope, "Good morning, your Majesty"

Anna's mouth opened, but then shut, teeth clicking audibly as she pulled herself away. Elsa's mouth unhinged on its own accord when she finally caught sight of Anna. Donning Arendelle's official colors, Anna left no room to question as to whom the kingdom answered to.

As children, Elsa always could easily acknowledge That Anna was an attractive girl, but children tend not to dwell on the attractiveness of their friends. They tend not to do what she was.

Which was staring at the soon to be queen.

Elsa wondered briefly how such a clumsy, adventurous child-

_"Watch me Elsa!"_

_Elsa looked up to see the lanky redhead trailing up a tree, pausing to contemplate the best and fastest way to get her friend down. Sighing as she walked up to the trunk, she met the cheerful gaze of teal eyes and round cheeks, finding a smile of her own coming along._

-could turn into such a beautiful ruler.

The coronation outfit suited her nicely, the cloak hanging from her shoulders projecting an air of authority, causing a coil to wind up in Elsa's stomach. Her hair had a single plait, wrapping itself around the mane of fiery hair to finally slip into a bun. She was used to seeing bangs hang in Anna's vision haphazardly and two braids hanging off her shoulders, not. . not _this. _Never had she seen Anna look so mature.

She had caught only brief glimpses of Anna as she grew. A flash of red or laughter down the hall, with the occasional grunts that followed the sound of something shattering, before she was forced to duck into the nearest empty room, piled closet, hell, even hiding behind armor to avoid the redhead. Finally, she was able to see how Anna had grown.

And she had grown, dare she think it, amazingly.

"Elsa. . Ms. .Oh, I don't know your surname", Anna's hand on her shoulder snapped her out of her thoughts, pulling herself away just as fast as the contact had come.

Elsa couldn't help the frown that tugged down her lips, _she knows my family's name; she's known it since we were-_

"When you introduced yourself, you never gave it."

The realization slammed into her, _she is accepting that she doesn't know who I am._

Elsa was flabbergasted to say the least; Anna had a stubborn streak that dominated her entire being. To. .to just give up on something she had so vehemently believed true just yesterday was completely out of character. What would cause Anna to revoke her previous standing so easily?

_Perhaps this is an example of the maturity she's gained?_

They needed Anna to not question the fact that they had never met, and she was fulfilling it readily.

The thought was accompanied with an immense relief.

And maybe a tinge of sadness.

Elsa watched Anna closely, before bowing, "Forgive me, but it is Burhs."

Anna's eyes narrowed for a fraction of a second before returning to normal, leaving Elsa to wonder if she had imagined it, before dripping her own head, "No forgive my. . .actions yesterday; I realize that you would have no reason to lie about your identity."

"I'm sorry", Elsa blurted out, resisting the urge to cover her mouth or slap herself repeatedly. Anna's head snapped up, eyes darting between her own, "Whatever for?"

For leaving for so long.

For not protecting you.

_For not being the person you want of me._

"For my", Elsa swallowed, unable to meet Anna's scrutinizing eyes any longer, finishing lamely, "For my rudeness."

Anna waved her hand, as if brushing away the thought, "Burhs? If I'm not mistaken, that's not a name of Arendelle, right?"

Elsa gave a jerky nod, not trusting herself to comment further even when Anna raised a questioning eyebrow. Fighting the desire to fidget, Elsa felt like a child again as Anna stared at her, a teasing look in her eyes.

"I was actually looking for you", Anna said nonchalantly as she took a step to gaze out one of the numerous windows that littered the halls, stretching from the floor to the ceiling. Elsa remained quiet, so Anna continued, "Just to apologize. I don't tend to frighten off my workers on the introductions; I typically save that for their first day."

_When did she become so articulate?_

Elsa's lip tugged downward, pondering how Anna could frighten anyone, considering how charming her antics and personality are.

It didn't cross her mind that others may not find it as endearing as she did.

Anna sighed, cradling her head in her hand and propping up her elbow on the windowsill, "For today to by my coronation day, I'm not busy at all. I would like to take a walk, would you accompany me?"

"At your service, Your Highness."

* * *

Anna had decided early that morning that she would need a plan; any and all of the servants scurried away as soon as she even uttered Elsa's name, not helping one bit. Operation Elsa would need to be covert to avoid alerting anyone that she was interested in the haze that was Elsa's presence at the castle. Whatever was being hidden involved the entire castle.

Except for her, of course.

So she would compose herself, being the calm, poised queen they expected her to be. Settle their worries by apologizing and accepting that Elsa wasn't _her_ Elsa.

Well, not _her_ Elsa; she wasn't possessive of the women or anything. She just wanted her back, so the two of them could fill in the blanks in her memory. She could finally have her only friend back. The only person, who wasn't family, that had truly cared for her. More memories were coming back, all involving Elsa-

_"It's alright Anna, don't cry", Elsa held up a roll of bandages, grabbing a strip before wrapping it around her knee, "See, I can fix it."_

_Never had Elsa said an 'I told you so' at her actions, even with this latest disaster. Who knew riding her bicycle down the stairs wasn't a good idea?_

_Well now _she_ knew._

_All it had cost was a bloody knee and a terrified blonde racing down the steps as soon as she had fallen. Elsa had immediately known what to do, though becoming frantic as tears had started to collect at the edges of Anna's vision._

_Cool lips brushed over her bandaged knee, a tilted blonde head and a lopsided small greeting her as she looked up, "All better, yeah?"_

-as Anna threw herself into all sorts of shenanigans, the blonde forever by her side.

Okay, so maybe she was a tad, little, _really_ possessive over Elsa.

She had been extremely pleased when Elsa appeared, for it was better than explaining to the staff that not only had she knocked over a precious artifact but had also managed to injure herself in the process, Yes, that would be the perfect way to being her rule. Elsa's gloved hand started wringing around the hilt of her sword that was belted around her waist, bringing her back to the present as Elsa waited for her to head to where they were going.

Right, she was on a mission.

The few servants she passed gave a polite greeting before resuming their tasks, before swinging their heads back to stare, with awe displayed on their faces. Anna resisted rolling her eyes; _they act as if I've never been up this early. _Anna paused in her thoughts, _oh. . they probably haven't_. No matter; she could ignore the gawking and- good lord, that face wasn't really _needed _was it?- as long as they didn't run into Gerda.

Anna had to get Elsa out of the castle and to the woods, to the place where. . well she wasn't exactly sure, but maybe they could remember together. At least Elsa wasn't looking at her like she had lost it as they walked through the halls, sometimes pausing for Anna to look around the corner. Anna turned around, scratch that, maybe she was giving her _that_ look, but at least she was still following her.

_Granted, this is her job._

Anna's heart picked up, one more corner and then she would be out of the castle and home free. Really, she hadn't been all that truthful when she commented on her schedule for the day; she could probably make a nice, long list of tasks that were in need of completion, but Elsa didn't need to know that.

Anna dropped her voice a step lower, her self-claimed regal voice as she and Elsa passed the castle guard posted at the entrance heading to the castle grounds, "My guard and I are going to take a walk; I'll be back shortly."

The guard nodded, opening up the door for them after bowing to Anna and giving a salute to Elsa.

"Princess Anna."

Anna head tipped back, a groan escaping her. She knew that voice, knew that the tone in it was just shy of angry. Anna put on a charming smile before turning to her longtime nanny and servant, "What can I do for you, Gerda?"

The woman scoffed and put her hands on her hips in a manner that suggested that she was not buying it one bit, "I think you know exactly what you should be doing, _Your Highness_."

Anna winced at the mocking title, her shoulders slumping and abandoning her 'queenliness', "I just wanted to go out for a little."

Gerda sighed, her eyes full of concern before they landed on the silent blonde hovering beside her, "If you must, at least go to the docks to greet the coming kingdoms; I'm sure your Captain wouldn't mind escorting you."

Anna could feel Elsa tense just behind her shoulder, tossing her head over her shoulder just in time to see a dark look cross over Elsa's features, "Of course."

Anna stepped away from the two and turned up her palms, "Have you two met yet? If not, Gerda this is Elsa Burhs, my new personal guard and Captain of the Royal Guards, which I guess is easy to know because her uniform is blue and white and not like the Palace Guards' uniforms, y'know purple and green. And Elsa, or do I call you Captain. . or Ms. Burghs or Lady Burhs, whatever. This is Gerda, and she's basically head of the household, always cleaning up after my messes."

Gerda lips formed a thin line as the woman's eyes adopted a faraway look, "We have-"

"Not had the honor of meeting yet, thank you for the introductions, Your Majesty. Well met, Ms. Gerda", Elsa smoothly interrupted, bowing to Gerda.

Gerda tapped her foot, something Anna knew to her telling sign of annoyance, "I'll not have you bowing at me, you should know better."

Anna could have sworn she heard Elsa's jaw crack as she clench it tightly together, "Your Majesty, should we leave now, in order to avoid missing anyone?"

Anna realized Elsa was deflecting the situation to her, and she quickly came to the conclusion that she wouldn't get all the answers from a showdown with Gerda. Elsa would have to tell her what she knew, because she was the one who had personally been there, and it wouldn't do well to force it out of her. The way Elsa's eyes were darting around right now was a sign that Elsa would bolt when needed, and that wouldn't do for what she had in mind.

"Yes, I guess we should be on our way; I promise we won't be out long, Gerda."

Gerda gave a stiff nod and shooed her out the door.

* * *

The walk to the docks was a one of silence.

Anna had never appreciated silence, always choosing to fill it with laughter instead, because silence allowed room for thoughts that were better left buried. Silence felt never-ending, leaving her to dwell in past mistakes and grief that she couldn't place.

Silence reminded her of an isolated castle. Her mother after her final breaths as the sickness claimed them. Waking up in a forest, alone.

No, she had always preferred the constant air of conversation.

That's why the quiet that had fallen over the two left her fidgeting and ready to jump out of her own skin.

She glanced beside her to see Elsa walking proudly beside her, head held high and eyes roaming about. Elsa seemed to have chosen to wear the official uniform of the Royal Guards, probably in order for her coronation tonight. A deep blue jacket outlined with white meeting dark grey trousers before disappearing into the black, mid-calf boots she wore. A sash was tied around the blonde's waist; Anna peered closer at the shape on the sash, ". .Is that a snowflake?"

Elsa's eyes immediately settled on hers and nodded, not giving any indication as to why it wasn't Arendelle's symbol that was positioned there instead of a snowflake. She had never seen any of her guards wear something like that and couldn't help but ponder if it was a personal touch.

Anna brought her shoulders up before dropping them, "Can we talk? I mean, is it allowed for us to talk? I talked to Kai all the time, but that could be different since he's known me since I was a child and you. . ?

_Haven't? Have? _She wasn't quite sure how to finish that thought without a frown.

Elsa's hand slipped around the hilt of her weapon as a thicker crowd approached, "I'm tasked to protect you; your talking will only serve to distract me."

Anna ducked her head, "Oh, I get it; if you make a mistake, I could very well die from it, right?"

Anna watched as something unnamed passed across Elsa's face, before vanishing as the blonde cleared her throat, "Yes."

"Okay, so at least we have some ground rules-rule; no distracting you. Oh hey, is there some code word I should know about in case of emergencies", Anna questioned absently as she reached out to prevent the guard from moving without her as she paused.

The second her hand grazed Elsa's shoulder, the older woman recoiled, fire burning behind her blue eyes. Anna received an immense cold projecting from the blonde, shrugging it off due to the intensity of the blonde's gaze.

Holding her hands up in an act of peace, Anna stepped back, "Okay, no touching; got it. Stored in the vault". Anna rapped her knuckles for emphasis against her temple as the blonde continued to stare at her with a wary gaze.

Anna took a step forward, "Look the docks!", pointing for anything to relieve the massive tension she now felt.

"This is amazing!"

Anna threw her hands up in the air, "Look at it all!"

With a laugh, she pushed her way through the crowd, one that was lessening once the people realized who she was. Looking around, colors filled her vision. Greens and purples dominated, the official Arendelle colors dominating the subtler hints of blues and whites.

It was just so vibrant.

And the people. .

They were everywhere, laughing, shouting, dancing. The breath rushed out of her chest; they were all so happy, so content with their lives. They had all joined to celebrate. . to celebrate _her_. The people rushed her, a cacophony of, "It's the Princess!", and, "Your Majesty!" It thrilled her to no end, making her heartbeat a deafening roar in her ear. She had never been around so many people before in her life, her father's paranoia preventing her from escaping the confinement that was the castle walls. Everyone gather around her was full of beaming smiles and-

An angry face lunging at her.

Instinct causing her to shrink away and close her eyes as there was a breeze followed by a collective gasps from the crowd. A hush descended over the mass like a blanket as Anna shakingly opened her eyes. Elsa crouched a few feet from her, knee driving into the back of a man sporting a bloody mouth. Elsa barked a command and suddenly she was surrounded by white and blue. Her mother's favorite colors, the colors of the Royal Guard. Elsa shoved her way through them as guards took away the man, asking her a question. She couldn't pay the woman any mind; she had seen it.

The metallic glint of a dagger that had lain just out of reach of the man's outstretched hand.

She had thought everyone was at peace; that everyone in Arendelle was well taken care of and grateful for the fact.

Obviously not.

Obviously, she wasn't even queen yet and had already failed her people.

Elsa's gloved finger tipping up her chin so their eyes would meet brought her out of her misery for the moment and she waved off the . . _concerned?_- gaze of her guard, "I'm fine, lets just keep going."

"I don't recommend you stay where there are so many people, Your Highness."

Anna brushed away from the guards, "No, I need to greet the kingdoms."

Her guard sighed, before nodding, but waved a hand for guards to flank her on both sides, "As you wish."


End file.
